Updated: 2023-04-11 06:58:00 EDT


Purpose

This webpage/report is intended to aggregate information from different agencies (i.e. USACE, SFWMD, FWC, USGS and NOAA) into one spot to help inform local government agencies and stakeholders on conditions within Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary and Coastal southwest Florida. The data provided here should be considered preliminary and are subject to change.


USACE Data Summary

Daily discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 14-days. Data Source: USACE

Date

S77

S78

S79

S310

S351

S352

S354

L8

S308

S80

NthLake 1

WCA1

WCA2

WCA3

ENP 2

04-10

3463

3308

4576

58

0

0

0

264

524

1044

643

0

115

61

678.3467

04-09

3273

3379

4644

71

0

0

0

678

891

1042

585

0

-83

61

606.9418

04-08

3122

2359

3432

79

742

450

103

623

1240

1053

607

0

-103

67

719.9996

04-07

2737

2361

3165

95

2154

1299

448

649

2045

1027

611

0

-133

95

795.3715

04-06

2945

2327

3164

89

2069

1267

591

662

2487

1020

625

0

-107

119

856.8590

04-05

4082

2461

3802

-33

1928

1152

510

605

2390

1016

762

0

-135

123

866.7764

04-04

4842

3474

4911

-76

1912

1023

266

169

2733

1055

900

0

0

129

918.3466

04-03

4542

3451

5001

-34

1928

1408

559

488

2001

1576

962

0

0

226

1,084.9581

04-02

4013

3132

4410

5

1974

1371

250

474

1020

1065

1029

0

0

151

1,148.4291

04-01

2904

2322

3111

30

1490

1170

0

670

1111

775

904

0

0

246

1,271.4043

03-31

3291

2562

3628

31

1002

615

0

635

1972

924

1238

0

0

240

1,372.5612

03-30

4560

3492

5173

22

1484

676

125

668

1246

36

1384

0

0

274

1,350.7431

03-29

5389

3993

5428

181

1567

684

633

734

893

56

1037

0

0

204

1,158.3465

1 Includes discharges from Fisheating Creek, S71, S72, S84, S84X, S65E, and S65EX1

2 Estimated as S12s+(S333+S333N)-S356. If no data is present (i.e. -NR-) either S12s, S333s or S356 data is not available.

Average and total net discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 7-days. Data Source: USACE

Statistic

S77

S78

S79

S310

S351

S352

S354

L8

S308

S80

NthLake

WCA1

WCA2

WCA3

ENP

Average

3495

2810

3956

40

1258

742

274

521

1758

1037

676

0

-64

94

777.5202

Total

24464

19669

27694

283

8805

5193

1918

3650

12309

7257

4733

0

-446

657

5,442.6417

Average and total net discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 14-days. Data Source: USACE

Statistic

S77

S78

S79

S310

S351

S352

S354

L8

S308

S80

NthLake

WCA1

WCA2

WCA3

ENP

Average

3782

2971

4188

40

1404

855

268

563

1581

899

868

0

-34

154

986.8526

Total

49162

38621

54445

518

18248

11117

3485

7319

20551

11689

11288

0

-446

1997

12,829.0840

Caloosahatchee Conditions Summary: Flow to the Caloosahatchee Estuary had a 7-day average of 1,995 cfs at S-79 with a 7-day average of 1,762 cfs (88%) coming from the lake at S-77. The 14-day moving average flow at S-79 is 2,121 cfs and has been in the stress flow envelope (2100 - 2600 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 1 days.

Lake Flows: In the past 7 days the total outflow from Lake Okeechobee was 56,730 AF with 24,464 AF to the Caloosahatchee through S-77,12,309 AF through S-308 in Port Mayaca, 392 AF through S-310 in Clewiston, and 15,915 AF to the EAA through S-351, S-352, and S-354. The total net inflow to the Lake was 4,842 AF (4,733 AF from Fisheating Creek, S-71, S-72, S-84s, S-65EX, and S-65EX1) with a total backflow volume of 109 AF from S310. Water conservation areas received flows of 0 AF, -446 AF, and 657 AF at WCA1, WCA2, and WCA3, respectively. Everglades National Park received 5,443 AF.


Lake Okeechobee Level: 14.24 ft (Operational Management Band)

Lake Okeechobee Inflow: 324 cfs

Last Week: 14.47 ft

Lake Okeechobee Outflow: 2441 cfs

Weekly Rainfall Total:

WP Franklin ≥ 0.30”

Ortona ≥ 0.20”

Moore Haven ≥ 0.50”


Lake Okeechobee


Stage Elevation

Lake Okeechobee daily average stage elevation for water year 2023 (WY2023) relative to the last two water years (red line) relative to the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS) .

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Stage and recession rates this time for the current and last three water years

Date
(Month-Day)

Water Year

Stage
(ft, NGVD29)

7-Day Recession Rate
(ft 7-d⁻¹)

30-Day Recession Rate
(ft 30-d⁻¹) B

04-09

2020

11.55

-0.23

-0.87

04-10

2021

14.14

-0.18

-0.95

04-10

2022

13.53

-0.22

-0.73

04-10

2023

14.28 A

-0.19

-0.87

A Value estimated from average stage height across L001, L005, L006, LZ40, S133TW, S352HW & S4TW

B -0.5 ft 30-d⁻¹ maximum 30-day Recession Rate for HAB Deviation

  • As of 04/10/2023 the mean stage elevation in Lake Okeechobee is within the Operational Low Sub- Management Band at a stage elevation of 14.28 feet (NGVD29).

Lake Okeechobee 7-day and 30-day water level recession/ascension rates during WY2023. Negative values indicate falling water levels (recession) and positive values indicate raising water level (ascension) during this 7-day period .

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Lake Okeechobee 7-day water level recession/ascension rates stop-light metric relative to the draft Snail Kite Performance Measure.

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Regional Rainfall

Weekly (04/04 - 04/10) rainfall totals along the Caloosahatchee River

Mointoring Location 1

Weekly
Rainfall
Total
(inches) 2

S79 (WP Franklin)

0.3

S78 (Ortona)

0.2

S77 (Moore Haven)

0.5

1 Data Source: SFWMD DBHYDRO (DBKEYS 16414,15495,16415) and USACE reports

2 Based on data from 04/04/2023 - 04/10/2023


Relative Algae Condition

Sonde monitoring locations within Lake Okeechobee conducted by SFWMD.


Daily Chlorophyll, Phycocyanin,relative ratio of Phycocyanin (Phyco) relative to Phyco and Chlorophyll (Chl) and Turbidity within Lake Okeechobee monitored by SFWMD. Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin are plotted on log-scale. Thresholds of concern/risk identified for Chlorophyll (20 and 40 μg/L) and Phycocyanin (40 μg/L; Cotterill et al 2019 & Macário et al 2015).

Data are provisional and subject to change.

  • Cotterill et al (2019) Phycocyanin sensors as an early warning system for cyanobacteria blooms concentrations: a case study in the Rotorua lakes. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 53:555–570.
  • Macário et al (2015) New insights towards the establishment of phycocyanin concentration thresholds considering species-specific variability of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Hydrobiologia 757:155–165.


Weekly mean water quality sonde Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin concentration at monitoring locations across Lake Okeechobee

Site

7-day Mean
Chlorophyll Conc.
(μg L⁻¹) 1

7-day Mean
Phycocyanin Conc.
(μg L⁻¹) 1

Green Algal
Concern Category 2

Blue-green Algae
Concern Category 3

L001

15

3

Min. Concern

Min. Concern

L005

13

66

Min. Concern

High Concern

L006

10

13

Min. Concern

Min. Concern

LZ40

54

39

High Concern

Min. Concern

POLESOUT1

29

4

Warning

Min. Concern

POLESOUT3

10

3

Min. Concern

Min. Concern

1 Based on data from 04/05/2023 - 04/11/2023

2 Chlorophyll Categories:
Min. Concern: values < 20 μg L⁻¹
Warning: values ≥ 20μg L⁻¹ and <40 μg L⁻¹
High Concern: values ≥ 40 μg L⁻¹

3 Phycocyanin Categories:
Min. Concern: values < 40 μg L⁻¹
High Concern: values ≥ 40 μg L⁻¹

Algae Coverage

Cyanobacteria Index for Lake Okeechobee for 2023-04-10 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Cyanobacteria Index for Lake Okeechobee for 2023-04-10 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)



Average daily windspeed and direction and cyanobacteria algal bloom coverage of Lake Okeechobee. Data from NOAA NCCOS HAB data explorer.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Blue-Green Algae Sampling Results

Blue-green Algae sampling results for the last 30-days for the 10 county area (Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe). Data from FDEP Blue-green algae dashboard

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Of the 17 samples collected, cyanobacteria was dominate in 2 samples, 0 samples had toxins present ranging from to - μg L⁻¹ (does not include non-detects).



Caloosahatchee River Estuary

Discharge

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last six months.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last last 30 days.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) and S-79 (to Tidal Basin) flow data along the C-43 and Caloosahatchee River. C-43 Basin Flow was calculated as the difference from S-77 and S-79.

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Daily, 14-day moving average and 30-day moving average discharge for S-79 relative to the Northern Estuaries RECOVER performance measure and the established minimium flows and levels (MFLs) for the recent 6-month period.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Daily, 14-day moving average and 30-day moving average discharge for S-79 relative to the Northern Estuaries RECOVER performance measure and the established minimium flows and levels (MFLs) for the recent 30-day period.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

  • As of Apr 10, discharges conditions are within the stress RECOVER salinity envelope.


Cumulative discharge for S-79 (to Tidal Basin) and S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) for the last three Florida Water Years (May - April). Day of water year is analogous to day of year with Day 1 = May 1st.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Chlorophyll, Phycocyanin & fDOM

Top: Daily dissolved organic matter (fluorescence DOM). Middle: Daily relative fluorescence Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin observed at the floating sensor bouy at S-79 monitoring by USGS. Bottom: The relative ratio of Phycocyanin (Phyco) relative to Phyco and Chlorophyll (Chl).

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Estuary Salinity

Daily average bottom salinity data for the last 14-days from sampling locations within the tidal Caloosahatchee River Estuary relative to oyster health (Sanibel, Shell Point and Cape Coral) and tape grass (Vallisneria americana) health (Ft. Myers only) conditions.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red Tide Abundance


Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program.Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program.Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Count of samples within each abundance category within the greater Caloosahatchee River Estuary (see grey box on map)

Cell Abundance (Cells L⁻¹)

Number
of
Samples

not present/background (0-1,000)

6

very low (>1,000-10,000)

4

low (>10,000-100,000)

3

medium (>100,000-1,000,000)

---

high (>1,000,000)

---


Chlorophyll fluorescence for coastal southwest Florida for 2023-04-10 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Chlorophyll fluorescence for coastal southwest Florida for 2023-04-10 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Red Tide Forecast

Red Tide Prediction and Tracking for coastal Southwest Florida from FWC and USF link.

Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.

Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.

Statewide Gulf of Mexico coastal Red Tide forecast from FWC and USF.

Statewide Gulf of Mexico coastal Red Tide forecast from FWC and USF.


Charlotte Harbor

Discharge

Daily discharge into Charlotte Harbor from major rivers and creeks. Data source: USGS. Grey dashed lines between points indicate a potential data gap with values linearly interpolated.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

 

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